Are-Are You Crying?
by Trishata96
Summary: After the war, Cortez finally finds someone to love again. And for all their bickering, there's only one person he wants for his best man: James Vega. KinkMeme fill.


My fill for this prompt:

_After the war, Cortez finally finds someone to love again. And for all their bickering, there's only one person he wants for his best man: James Vega._

_I just really want Cortez to be happy for some reason. I'm picturing Vega giving the groom one last interrogation session to ensure that he's worthy of marrying his best friend, getting sloppy drunk and hitting on all the girls.  
Bonus points if Vega starts tearing up while giving the toast, (much to his horror)  
And so many bonus points if Commander Shepard is walking him down the isle._

* * *

"Hey Esteban! How did your second anniversary go?" Called out Vega to his friend, Steve Cortez. The guy had been smiling non-stop since he got on board the ship and a happy bounce in his step.

"Wonderful." He stated simply as he began to work at his console. Vega eyed him carefully. Steve was too cheerful. He paused in his pull ups and eyed him.

"Steve. You're a little too cheerful…" He walked over to the console and looked Steve in the eye. He was trying to act as if nothing important had happened. Then Vega noticed something glint on Cortez's hand.

"Esteban. Is that… an engagement ring?" Cortez looked down and cringed while rubbing it nervously."

"Dammit. I forgot to take it off and hide it. Err… you didn't see it, okay?" Cortez groaned as James grinned.

"So you and the Major are tying the knot. Okay I'll keep quiet but on one condition. I'm the best man."

"Fine, I was going to ask you to be my best man anyway." Vega chuckled and fist pumped the air, completely happy for his friend. Though now he need to do what all friends did. Ensure Cortez's soon to be other half was worthy. So when Steve was not looking, Vega strolled over to the lift and went to starboard observation. Opening the door he found Major Commander Kaidan Alenko working away on reports, back to him. There was a ping as someone requested to call him. Alenko answered it and Steve's face came up on the screen.

"Hey Steve. What's up?"

"I forgot to take off the ring. Vega noticed it." Kaidan's hands stopped moving.

"He's going to interrogate me, isn't he? I think I'll go and hide then…"

"Kai. He's right behind you."

"Shit." Ending the call, Kaidan looked over his shoulder and gave Vega a nervous smile.

"Hey, Major. So you finally worked up the nerve." Vega sat opposite to him, face serious.

"Well… we both did at the same time." Muttered Kaidan, playing with his own engagement ring..

"You both proposed at the same time? Well that must have been interesting. But I'm not here to ask stuff like that." Vega leaned forward and looked his superior in the eyes. " Do you love him for the rest of eternity?" Kaidan gulped and nodded.

"You won't do anything stupid and break Esteban's heart?"

"Vega. If I did that, you'd tear me into little pieces. I do want to live."

"I'll take that as a yes." Vega continued staring at Alenko before suddenly breaking out in smiles. "Congrats Major. Now 'scuse me while I tell everyone I meet." Before Alenko could stop the Lieutenant, he'd ran out into the mess where everyone was having breakfast and yelled:

"Hey guess what! Esteban and the Major are getting married!" Back in Starboard observation, Kaidan mentally asked himself why the hell he'd agreed to let Vega be the best man. Bringing up the comm line to Steve, he asked his fiance something.

"Steve, can I hide in the shuttle for a bit?"

"Sure love."

* * *

Caterina Shepard watched as Kaidan smoothed out his suit, taking deep shaky breaths. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Kaidan. Calm down. Everything's going to be okay. I'm sure Vega's been responsible with the speech he wrote and Steve's bachelor party." She said, straightening Kaidan's Alliance dress blues, determined to ensure her friend looked great for his wedding.

"Caterina. The word's Vega, responsible and bachelor party should never ,ever ,ever be put into the same sentence." He muttered, unconsciously putting a hand in his pocket and fiddling with Steve's wedding ring. Caterina paused in her ministrations, biting her lip.

"Okay, you have a point there amico. But don't worry, I may have threatened Vega and told him if he ruined two of my best amico's wedding, I would introduce a cheese grater to his pene." Kaidan chuckled, not at all surprised at the threat. Caterina could be very colourful with her Italian. She took a step back to examine him. Just like any other Alliance personnel at the wedding, she was wearing dress blues too. She gave an approving hum.

"Right, you are presentable for Steve." She stood beside him and offered him the crook of her arm, a cheeky grin on her face.

"No." Said Kaidan, bluntly.

"Come on."

"You are not walking me down the isle like I'm the bride, Shepard." She pouted and looked pleadingly at him."

"Aww, can't I give my best friend away?" Kaidan sighed, rubbing his forehead. He pondered the situation, if he wasn't careful Shepard would just order him about. Admiral Hackett did do the 'clever' thing of making Caterina a Captain.

"Steve put you up to this, didn't he?" Caterina nodded, smugly. " Fine." He muttered, hooking his arm though his best woman's arm." She could barely keep the grin off her face . Luckily the wedding music began to play and she assumed a more polite grin, then led Kaidan out. There were chuckles from the guests from the guests, who were comprised of the Normandy crew, friends and family. Over them, Kaidan could distinctly hear Vega and Joker trying not to howl their heads off. Cortez was watching a happy smile on his face. When Shepard had handed him over to Steve, she quickly fist bumped Vega."

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Steve Cortez and Kaidan Alenko…" Both he and Steve tuned out the pastor's lines and waited patiently for theirs.

"Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and Church." Steve took a deep breath and slid a ring onto Kaidan's ring finger.

"I ,Steve Andrew Cortez, take you, Kaidan Seiichi Alenko, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life." Taking out Steve's ring, Kaidan placed it on the correct finger and held his hand tight.

"I, Kaidan Seiichi Alenko, take you , Steve Andrew Cortez, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health… Otherwise Vega would kill me." There was a ripple of giggles and chortles throughout the room, even the pastor smiled, while Vega muttered 'Damn straight.' "I will love and honour you all the days of my life."

"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. I now proclaim you both husbands. You both may kiss." Steve immediately put his arms around Kaidan's neck and kissed him full on the lips. Cheers resonated, while Vega pretended to sniff to himself.

"There goes my boy." He whispered to himself, voice full of pride. Eventually Steve drew back from the kiss and rested his forehead against his husband's.

"Did you really have to get Caterina to walk me down the isle?" He asked, giving Steve a chaste kiss. Steve grinned.

"Sorry Kai, couldn't resist it. I'll let you get your own back." Kaidan immediately grinned evilly, then swept Steve into his arms bridal style. Steve took this happily, laughing his head off. Kaidan began making his way out, pausing to yell:

"Right! Newly wedded couple coming though!"

* * *

The reception room was filled with the buzz of chatter, while Vega went over his speech, Steve and the Major were on his left, while Captain Shepard was on Kaidan's right, sitting right next to her girlfriend. Taking a sip of wine, he took a deep breath and stood up, calling for silence.

"Okay everyone, I am ready to do my speech. If I'm lucky a certain Italian Lola won't murder me." He looked nervously at Shepard, who just smiled. Vega cleared his throat. "Right if anyone told me that Major Alenko went both ways. I would have laughed at them. So imagine my surprise when , during the Reaper wars, I caught these two in the Kodiak." There were a few giggles as Kaidan tried to hide his face in shame. "Yeah it was embarrassing for them, even worse for me. I got stone drunk trying to get certain images out of my mind, if you know what I mean. Though when I finally sobered up, I decided. Hey what the hell am I getting freaked out by? Long as Esteban's happy. I'm happy for him." Then Vega noticed his voice was cracking a little bit, and something wet was trickling down from the corner of his eyes. "A-Anyway. I wish you both a happy life together. Long as Esteban refrains from crashing the Kodiak again an-and Alenko stays away from killer robot chicks. I w-wis you…" He paused to wipe the corner of his eyes with his suit sleeve. Steve looked at him concerned, disbelief on his face.

"James… Are…Are you crying?"

"Nope. No I-I am n-not. Oh blast it. I promised myself I wouldn't cry." There were snorts or guffaws of laughter as everyone looked on in amazement at the rare sight of James Vega crying. Vega moved in-between Kaidan and Steve and hugged them both tightly. "My little boy's all grown up." He sniffed and the married couple hugged him back.

"We love you too James." Muttered Kaidan, pausing in his laughter. Then he gave Steve a cheeky look, which Steve returned. Next thing Vega knew was that both Kaidan and Steve had laid big sloppy kisses on his cheeks. He retreated, laughing to himself.

His Esteban was happy once again. That was all that mattered.


End file.
